5 Delicious Recipes to Celebrate the Season
After a winter of heavy foods, it’s time to lighten your meals and enjoy the fresh flavors, varied textures, and delightful colors of the fresh, new season. From satisfying main courses to new takes on side dishes, these easy-to-make, versatile recipes incorporate Spring-favorite herbs and vegetables and many ingredients you probably have on hand.
1. Creamy Pesto Pasta
This creamy avocado pesto pasta is vegan, but you’d never know it! Nutritional yeast adds cheesy flavor, and avocado makes for a creamy sauce that’s filling and flavorful. (Feel free to substitute fresh spring peas, cooked and mashed, for the avocado.)
Ingredients
• 8 ounces pasta of choice (+ reserved 1/2 cup pasta water)
• 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1 large garlic clove, peeled
• 1 1/2 cups fresh basil
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 ripe avocado
• 2 tablespoons Frontier Co-op® Nutritional Yeast
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Frontier Co-op® Sea or Himalayan Pink Salt, to taste
• Frontier Co-op® Fair-trade Organic Black Pepper, to taste
Directions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and drain pasta.
2. Into a small skillet over medium low heat, add pine nuts. Toast, stirring often, until they smell fragrant and are lightly browned. Keep a close eye on the pan, as they burn easily.
3. Make the pesto: Transfer pine nuts to a food processor, add garlic and pulse a few times, then add basil and spinach and continue pulsing until finely chopped. Add avocado, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, and continue processing until a smooth sauce forms.
4. Toss pasta with pesto: Add a few tablespoons of pasta water, if needed, to loosen the sauce.
5. Optional: top with more pine nuts before serving.
2. Spring-Fresh Vegan Caesar Salad
Updated for vegans and fresh, seasonal produce, this dairy-free Caesar salad uses nutritional yeast, cashews and tahini for a super creamy, cheesy dressing that tastes just as good as the original. The homemade croutons are the perfect complement, and well worth the effort.
Ingredients for Dressing:
• 1/4 cup raw cashews
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/3 cup water
• 1-1/2 tablespoons Frontier Co-op® Nutritional Yeast
• 1-1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 large garlic clove, peeled
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Frontier Co-op® Sea Salt or Himalayan Pink Salt
• Frontier Co-op® Fair-trade Organic Black Pepper, to taste
Crouton Ingredients:
• 3 cups sourdough, similar bread, or a variety, sliced into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons of your best extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Frontier Co-op® Nutritional Yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon Frontier Co-op® Sea Salt or Himalayan Pink Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Frontier Co-op® Fair-trade Organic Black Pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Frontier Co-op® Garlic Powder
Salad Ingredients:
• 3 cups Romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 cup mixed baby greens
• 1/4 cup thinly-sliced fresh radish
• 1/2 cup raw sugar snap peas, sliced diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1- 2 cups curly or baby kale, finely chopped
• Additional Frontier Co-op® Nutritional Yeast, for topping (optional)
Directions
1. Soak raw cashews in hot water for 30 minutes, then drain.
2. Meanwhile, make the croutons: Preheat oven to 375F degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper and garlic powder, then add bread cubes and toss to coat.
3. Transfer croutons to a sheet pan and bake for 17 to 20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until light golden brown and toasted.
4. Make the dressing: Into a blender, add soaked cashews, tahini, water, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper, and blend until completely smooth. Taste and adjust salt as desired.
5. Put together your salad: Into a large bowl, add salad ingredients and toss with dressing until well coated. Add the croutons and toss to combine. Top with another sprinkle of nutritional yeast before serving.
3. Tequila-Lime Shrimp with Avocado-Lime Dressing
This simple 4-ingredient Tequila Lime Shrimp recipe can be done in the oven or air fryer, and creates tangy marinated shrimp that are perfect to eat on their own, atop grains or greens, or wrapped up in a taco. Add the Tequila Lime Avocado Dressing for an even more satisfying entrée. We make the flavor easy with Frontier Co-op® Tequila Lime Seasoning.
Tequila Lime Shrimp Ingredients
• 24 raw jumbo shrimp (21-25 count), peeled, deveined
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, or a neutral oil you prefer
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Frontier Co-op® Organic Tequila Lime Seasoning
• 2 limes, juiced
Avocado Dressing Ingredients
• 2 large avocados, peeled and seeded
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, or a neutral oil you prefer
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Frontier Co-op® Organic Tequila Lime Seasoning
• 1 lime, juiced
Directions for Oven Method
1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine shrimp and oil, and mix to coat.
2. Add seasoning and mix to incorporate.
3. Add lime juice, place bowl in refrigerator and let marinate for 20 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
5. On a baking pan, place shrimp 3/4 to 1 inch apart. Place pan in oven.
6. Cook shrimp 10 to 12 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 150F degrees.
Directions for Air Fryer Method
1. Place shrimp in air fryer at 400F degrees.
2. Cook for 5 minutes, flip, and cook an additional 3 minutes.
Directions for Dressing
1. In a food processor or blender, combine avocados, oil, seasoning and lime juice, and blend until smooth.
2. Transfer to a bowl or other container and refrigerate until ready to use.
Tips:
- Coating the shrimp with oil first will help ensure the seasoning sticks and fully coats the shrimp.
- Adjust water or oil amount in dressing for a thicker or thinner dressing, if preferred.
- For a lower-fat dressing, replace oil with additional water.
4. Buttery Radishes with Mint
Who knew the radish had a softer, sweeter side? The garden’s humble, hidden gem takes center stage in this simple and unique side-dish that also compliments a charcuterie of crackers, cheese, crudités and dips.
Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 pound radishes, trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch wedges
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground Frontier Co-op® Sea Salt or Himalayan Pink Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground Frontier Co-op® Fair-trade Organic Black Pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint, roughly chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried mint)
Directions
1. Heat oil and butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Watch carefully; allow the butter to melt and cook a bit longer, until it’s a deep golden and takes on a light nutty smell, about 2-4 minutes depending on your pan and heat source.
2. Add radishes to pan. Stir and toss to coat on all sides.
3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for 8-10 minutes, tossing frequently, until radishes are tender and show signs of golden caramelization in places.
4. Let cool slightly, additional salt to taste, and sprinkle with mint just before serving, as it darkens quickly with heat.
5. Easy Basmati Rice with Spring Vegetables
So easy, versatile, and brimming with nutritious vegetables, this rice dish is sure to become one of your favorite all-season recipes! Instead of fresh veggies and herbs, you can use leftovers on hand, dried herbs, and ready-to-use cooked rice to cut prep time even more.
Ingredients
• 1 cup Lotus Foods Basmati Rice, cooked per package instructions
• 3 tablespoons of your best extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup Sutter Buttes Lemon Balsamic Vinegar
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for topping
• 1/2 teaspoon Frontier Co-op® Garlic Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Simply Organic® Lemon Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Frontier Co-op® Sea Salt or Himalayan Pink Salt
• 1.5 to 2 cup blend of your favorite Spring veggies, lightly steamed and chopped into 1” pieces (any of these will work wonderfully: arugula, asparagus, baby carrots, chard, scallions, snow peas, sugar snap peas)
• Freshly ground Frontier Co-op® Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
• Try one or more of these optional herbal garnishes (fresh or dried) and cheese add-ins: parsley, chives, cilantro, dill, shaved Parmesan cheese or feta cheese
Directions
1. While the rice is cooking, in a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, lemon pepper, parsley, and salt.
2. When the rice is done, gently stir in the cooked veggies, then the marinade.
3. Taste test! Add more salt or garlic as you prefer, then top with freshly ground black pepper.
4. Let rest for at least 1/2 hour for flavors to blend.
5. Serve chilled or at room temperature, with your preferred garnishes, add-ins, plus a lemon wedge or two.
